The Talking T. Rex Read Online Free PDF Page B

in there after it rained,” Ruth Rose said. “And that was in the middle of the night!”
    “Maybe the footprints were left by our thief,” Officer Fallon said. He put a hand on Dink’s shoulder. “Show me.”
    Dink led the way across the dark lawn. “There it is,” he said when they reached the small garden shed.
    “You folks please stay out here,” Officer Fallon told Josh, Ruth Rose, and Jud. His flashlight beam found the screwdriver. He removed it and opened the door. He played the light over the floor. Dried muddy footprints led fromthe door to the back of the shed.

    “Hold this for me,” Officer Fallon said, handing his flashlight to Dink. “Stand by the door so I have light.”
    Officer Fallon stepped inside and kneeled to examine the footprints. Then he walked through the shed, checking inside, under, and behind anything large enough to hide a person.
    At the back of the shed, he moved the wheelbarrow. He poked at the stack of burlap sacks with a toe. Then he peeled off several of the bags and set them on the floor.
    Dink saw him bend over and pull something from under the remaining bags.
    “Jud, would you come in here?” Officer Fallon yelled.
    Jud stuck his head in the door.
    “Is this what you’ve been looking for?”
    Officer Fallon was holding a darkbrown duffel bag. It was fat, as if stuffed with something. A long zipper ran along one side.

    Jud beamed. “You found it!” he said.
    Officer Fallon carried the bag out of the shed and set it on the ground. Under the flashlight beam, he pulled open the zipper. Nearly filling the bag were thousands of dollar bills bound in rubber bands.
    Officer Fallon looked up at Jud. “Is this your money?” he asked.
    Jud nodded. “I hope it’s all there.”
    “What’s that?” Dink asked. Hepointed to something pale green that was stuck to the side of the canvas duffel.

    “It’s a Band-Aid,” Ruth Rose said.
    “Don’t touch,” Officer Fallon cautioned. He pulled a small plastic bag from his pocket. Using the point of his pen, he knocked the Band-Aid into the baggie, then sealed it.
    “I wonder who this came from,” Officer Fallon said. He held his light on the plastic bag.
    “Scoop put on a Band-Aid like that one yesterday,” Ruth Rose said. “He burned his finger on his car radiator.”
    “I saw one on Dean’s finger, too,” Josh said.
    “We all use them,” Jud said. He reached into a pocket of his jeans and pulled out a green Band-Aid.
    Officer Fallon held Jud’s flat Band-Aid next to the used one in his baggie. The two Band-Aids were the same.

CHAPTER 9
    “All three of you fellas wear these Band-Aids?” Officer Fallon asked Jud.
    Jud nodded. “Working on Tyrone, we were always nicking our fingers,” he said. “So I bought a box of Band-Aids, and we all keep a few in our pocket.”
    Officer Fallon glanced at the duffel bag. “Who handled that bag last?”
    “I’m the only one who ever put the money in the bag,” Jud said. “I must’ve been wearing a Band-Aid, and it slipped off my finger when I stuck the bag in the compartment.”

    “Or the Band-Aid could have fallen off the thief’s finger when he stole the bag,” Officer Fallon said. “Whoever it was.” He gave Jud a close look.
    Jud thought for a moment before he spoke. “I know it looks like one of us stole the money,” he said. “But
I
sure didn’t take it, and I can’t believe Dean or Scoop would, either!”
    “Could the robber be someone else?” Dink asked.
    “But who?” Officer Fallon said. “Jud, you told me only you and Dean have keys to your dinosaur.”
    “That’s right,” Jud said. “But Dean is my best friend!”
    Officer Fallon slipped the baggie and his pen into a pocket. “Between Scoop Raker and Dean Whitefeather, who had more opportunity to get at that duffel bag?” he asked Jud.
    Jud looked at his feet. “Dean, Iguess,” he mumbled. “He slept next to Tyrone last night.”
    Officer Fallon put his hand on Jud’s shoulder. “I